Nicholasville, Ky. — Badger Technologies, a product division of Jabil, introduces the Badger™ UV Disinfect robot, an autonomous ultraviolet (UV) disinfecting robot designed to combat COVID-19 and high-risk pathogens commonly found in grocery, foodservice and retail environments. The latest in the lineup of Badger Technologies® autonomous robots, the Badger UV Disinfect robot is equipped with advanced UV-C technology developed by UltraViolet Devices Inc. (UVDI), a leading provider of air and surface disinfection solutions. Early testing of the new Badger Technologies autonomous robot with UVDI’s 254nm UV-C technology indicates 99% and …
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Dallas — La Madeleine French Bakery & Café will make its highly anticipated return to Addison, Texas, on Feb. 8 with a new look. The remodeled restaurant features the brand’s all-new prototype, including la Madeleine’s first-ever drive-thru and a featured scratch-bread baking experience. In addition to a bright and airy interior, the 4,180-square-foot location will feature cozy indoor seating and a charming, covered patio that offers outdoor dining options. “We couldn’t be more excited to open and introduce guests to an enhanced la Madeleine experience, including our first drive-thru!” says …
Modesto, Calif. — FoodMaxx officially welcomed shoppers to its newly renovated Oakland, Calif., store on Feb. 3. “With shoppers facing ever-tighter budgets during the pandemic, our Number 1 goal at FoodMaxx is to provide this community with the very best values, day in and day out, without sacrificing quality,” says Dean Willhite, vice president of store operations, FoodMaxx. Upon entering the store, shoppers experience FoodMaxx’s unbeatable “Wall of Value,” offering the best deals in town on grocery essentials and popular snacks. The store’s interior renovations feature the FoodMaxx warehouse-style format …
Westfield Valley Fair Joins Kitchen United to Unlock New Off-Premise Restaurant Experience
Pasadena, Calif. —A first-of-its-kind partnership between Westfield Valley Fair, the largest retail destination in Northern California, and Kitchen United, a ghost kitchen industry leader, will bring Kitchen United’s to-go operations and MIX multi-concept ordering technology platform to the shopping center format. Kitchen United is known for its concept that houses multiple restaurant brands under one roof for delivery and takeout orders. “MIX unlocks incremental off-premise demand for the restaurants at this Westfield location that are faced with indoor dining limitations amid the pandemic,” says Atul Sood, chief business officer of …
Auburn, Ala. — Chicken Salad Chick, a Southern-inspired, fast-casual chicken salad restaurant concept, opened 37 new restaurants in key target markets throughout 2020 — including seven in Texas, five in Georgia, three in Louisiana, two in Arkansas, as well as its first location in Indiana — resulting in a 22% increase in unit count year-over-year. The fast-growing brand also signed nine franchise agreements to develop 23 new restaurants over the next several years in states such as North Carolina, Virginia and Louisiana. In addition to this growth, Chicken Salad Chick …
New York City — Casper Sleep Inc., the award-winning sleep company, has made several leadership appointments, including Charles Liu as chief operating officer, Dara Williams as chief people and diversity officer, and George Poulios, vice president of retail, real estate and store development. “We are thrilled to welcome this bench of remarkable leaders to the team,” says Philip Krim, co-founder and CEO at Casper. “Dara, Charles and George bring critical skills and know-how to both our culture and business operations as we further our commitment to improve diversity and inclusion, …
New York City — MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, a fast-casual, “better burger” chain, opened its first restaurant in New York City on Feb. 1. The city’s first MOOYAH also marks the first MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes restaurant for Nick and Art Depole. The twin brothers grew up in Los Angeles and were big fans of the brand. “We always loved MOOYAH’s food, and once we were introduced to their business model and leadership team, we were blown away by the opportunity,” says Nick Depole. Located near New York’s …
Atlanta — Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a leading national fast-casual cafe franchise, experienced another record-breaking year in 2020. Tropical Smoothie Cafe delivered its ninth consecutive year of positive same-store sales, with 2020 same-store sales coming in at +7.5%. The brand opened 99 new cafes, including its 900th location in Fort Benning, Ga. Further, the brand signed 254 new franchise agreements — 70% of which came from existing franchisees — and is on track to reach more than 1,000 operating restaurants in 2021. “Our success is directly related to the passion and …
Atlanta — PGA TOUR Superstore, a leading experiential golf retailer, plans to open at least six new stores in 2021, reaching the 50-store milestone by the end of the year. The company also reported record comp store sales growth while gaining market share for fiscal 2020 — despite its brick-and-mortar doors being closed for nearly 2 months — as millions of people turned to golf during the pandemic. In January, PGA TOUR Superstore opened its first store of 2021 in Natick, Mass., with five additional stores planned for later this …
Fayetteville, Ark. — Slim Chickens plans to open more than 50 restaurants this year in various states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As the fast-casual brand expands around the globe, Slim Chickens, which features dine-in and drive-thru footprints in the “better chicken” segment, is set for an explosive 2021. Internationally, franchise restaurants will continue to open across the United Kingdom as well. Slim Chickens closed out 2020 having signed over 150 multi-unit agreements with 16 groups that will bring the brand into new markets …